Art of making boots and shoes



Aug. 14, 1928.

A. W. DONOVAN ART OF-MAKING soo'rs AND SHOES Filed Feb. 14, 1925 (igre'ci Zdflwwuai Z4 4 Patented Aug. 14, 1928.

UNITED STATES v on 1,680,670 PATENT, OFFICE.

ALFR'ED WARREN DONOVAN, OF ROCKLAND, MASSACHUSETTS.

ART OF MAKING BOOTS AlllD SHOES.

Original application filed'November 22, 1921, Serial No. 516,978. PatentNo. 1,527,540, dated February 24, 1925. Divided and this applicationfiled February 14, 1925. Serial No. 9,317.

This invention, originally described and claimed in an application filedby me November 22, 1921, Serial Number 516,978,0f' which thisapplication isa division, relates to the manufacture of boots and shoesmade from leather and lined with cloth or the like, and it has for itsobject to enable shoe manufacturers to produce better fitting and betterappearing shoe uppers, made fromleather or thelike, than heretofore.

Heretofore, the methods employed in as.- sembling and shaping theleather outside of the top and the cloth lining of shoe uppers did notinsure a correct shape and fit so far as the proper relative positioningor fitting ofthose parts together was concerned, and as a result eitherthe lining or the outside of the upper frequently presented a wrinkledand mis-shapen appearance in use. Moreover, the improper assembling anduniting of the leather to and cloth lining characteristic of the metiods'and means heretofore employed not only prevented proper fitting ofthe vamp to the top but also prevented the proper fitting of boththelining and outside of the finished upper to the last.

' My invention aims to obviate these obj ectionable features and to makeit possible to conveniently, expeditiously and correctly assemble andshape leather shoe tops having a lining so that they may be accuratelyfitted, one to the other. r h I To these ends the invention consists ina new method of making boot and shoe uppers.

' In the accon'ipanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of amachine for use in making boot and shoe uppers in accordance with my newmethod.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the machine shown in Fig.1. 1

Figure 3 is a perspectiveview of a partially completedshoe upper.

Figure 4 shows, inside elevation the two molding .members hereinafterreferred to with a partially completed shoe upper in position upon themale molding member.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlargcd'detail of the upper portion of Figure 5. rHaving reference to the drawings, particularly Fig. 3, 1 represents ashoe lining, 2, the side facing strips, 3 the top facing strip and 4 thetop, the. lining usually being made of textile fabric and the facingpieces and top of leather. Thev usual practice, heretofore, has

been to assemble these parts upon a flat surface such as the top of atable and to secure them together while'in this flatcondition with theresult that the parts were inaccurately positioned relatively so thatwhen the two N sides of the upper were bent around alongside of'eachother as in Fig. 3, the. lining upon the inside would be buckled andwrinkled and act to so distort the top as to make it impossible toproperly attach the quarter and vamp thereto.

. Consequently, either the completed upper would not properly conform tothe last and would be irregular and more or less out of shape or thelining upon the inside would be wrinkled and uncomfortable to the wearerof the shoe.

In proceeding in accordance with my invention theside facing strips 2are fastened to the lining 1 and then, the lining is bent around aV-shaped SZICldlGfOI'll] 5 with the middle, or middle seam, of saidlining extending along the ridge or apex thereof as shown in Figs. 4 and5 and 6, after which said lining is smoothed out by hand strokes andpressure or otherwise so as to remove all wrinkles. The top 4 is nextplaced in its proper position upon the lining-while the latter remainsupon form 5 and is smoothed out by hand strokesand pressure, orotherwise, said top being secured to said lining by cement applied toone or the othenror both. of said parts previous tothe application ofsaid top to the lining, and being pressed firmly into position againstthe latter. 7

It is unnecessary to employ cement throughout the area of the inner sideof top 4 but it is desirable that it be used near the ends of the topand particularly between the back portion of the top and the backportion of the lining to secure said parts together at that place so.thatduring subsequent handling the rear portions of said parts retaintheir bent shape and do not become separated or wrinkled.

After assembling the parts upon the V- shaped form 5 as above describeda V-shaped iron preferably heated, is applied to the rear portion of thepartly constructed upper to fit the lining and top snugly around andagainst the apex of form 5 and to set the adjacent cement that isbetween the top and lining.

The machine herein shown which may ion iio

be used in practising the above described method comprises a stand orframe 7 provided at its top with a laterally extending arm 8 made at itsouter end with a socket 9 to receive the shank 10 of iron 6, said shankbeing secured rigidly within said socket by means of a set screw 11.Beneath the arm 8 is another laterally extending arm' 12, within whichis slidably mounted the stem or shank, 13 of form 5. The lower end ofstem or shank 13 is pivotally connected as at 14 to one arm ofa lever 15fulcrumed at 16 on arm 12. The other arm of lever 15 is connected by alink 17 with a foot treadle 18 fulcrumed at 19 on standard 7. A spring20 connected at one end to lever 18 and at its opposite end to standard7 normally liolds foot treadle 18 elevated with form 5 at the limit ofits movement away from iron 6. After the parts of the upper areassembled upon form 5 as above described, the operator depresses treadle18 thereby lifting form 5 whose apex presses the rear portions of theupper into the fe male V-shaped iron 6 causing the latter to wipeagainst and fit the parts of the upper closely around the apex of form5.

In order to heat the iron 6 I construct the latter with electric heaters21, 21 adapted to be connected with a source of electric current bywires 22.

After permitting the form 5' to remain within the iron 6 the necessaryor desired length of time, the operator removes his foot from thetreadle and spring 20 restores the form 5 to its lowermost positionagain.

When the top and lining are removed from the machine, they arepositioned'relatively and shaped practically the same, particularly atthe rear of the upper, as when the shoe is completed so that in thecompleted shoe both the lining and outside of the top are smooth andfree of wrinkles or other distortions.

The member 5 is made as a hollow casting. The outer inclined walls ofwhich are made with air ducts or ports 23 as shown in Figures 4; and 5.At one end the interior compartment of form 5 is connected by a flexiblehose 24: with the inlet of a blower or air pump 25 and when the machineis in use this air pump or blower 25 is continuously in operation andacts to exhaust the air from the interior of form 5. It will thereforebe clear that when the lining is placed in position upon form 5 it isheld in position thereon against accidental displacement by airpressure. As shown in Fig. 6 the V-shaped recess 26 of presser member 6is made of such depth or shape that the side walls of this recesscontact with the upper upon form 5 before the bottom of the recessengages the upper, thereby preventing contact of the )resser member 6with the back seam or ack stay and avoiding undue or injurious pressureupon the latter.

What I claim is:

1. The above described method of making boot and shoe uppers which.consists in first bending a flat lining blank at its middle around asupporting saddle form and maintaining it in position thereon by airpressure, and thereafter, while the lining blank is thus held to saidsaddle form by air pressure, applying and securing thereto a flatoutside leather top piece blank.

2. The above described method of making boot and shoe uppers whichconsists in first bending the lining blank at its middle around asupporting saddle form and thereafter, while said lining blank is heldin its bent shape to said form by air pressure, fitting and securing theoutside top piece blank oi the upper to said lining and then applyingpressure to said outside top piece blank to press the same into intimatecontact with the lining blank while the latter is held to said form bysaid air pressure.

3. The above described method of making boot and shoe uppers whichconsists in first bending a lining blank at its middle around asupporting saddle form and thereafter while the lining blank is held inits bent shape to said form by air pressure, applying and securing theoutside top piece of the upper to said lining blank and then applyingpressure and heat to the middle portion of the outside top piece.

4. The above described method of making boot and shoe uppers whichconsists in first bending a fiat lining blank at its middle around asupporting saddle form and fitting it to the latter, and thereafterbending a flat leather outside top piece blank at its middle around, andsecuring it to, said lining while the latter is held upon said form byair pressure.

ALFRED WARREN DONOVAN.

